Construction Law Lawyer in Scarborough & Toronto

What's Included

Our construction law practice covers the full scope of work most clients need:

• Construction Act lien registration
• Lien discharge and vacating
• Holdback and payment certifier advice
• Breach of trust claims
• Sub-contractor and supplier claims
• Prompt Payment and Adjudication
• Project documentation review
• Construction litigation

What to Bring

• Contract or purchase order
• Invoices and statements of account
• Last day worked or materials supplied
• Project address and PIN
• Communications with the owner / general

Don't have everything ready? Send what you have and we'll guide you through the rest.

Construction Law Under Ontario's Construction Act

Ontario's Construction Act sets out one of the most time-sensitive regimes in Canadian law. Lien rights expire in 60 days, prompt-payment timelines run in days not months, and adjudication can produce a binding decision on a payment dispute in under 50 days. If you supplied services or materials to an Ontario construction project and have not been paid, your first call should be to a construction lawyer — today.

Construction liens — how they protect you

A construction lien is a charge registered on the title to a property to secure payment for work or materials supplied to that property. Liens convert what would otherwise be an unsecured invoice into a secured claim, ranking ahead of most other creditors and often forcing the owner or general contractor to settle. The trade-off is rigid timing: you generally have 60 days from the date services or materials were last supplied to register, and a further 90 days to perfect the lien by issuing a statement of claim.

Holdback, trust funds and Prompt Payment

The Construction Act requires a 10% statutory holdback on every contract and subcontract, releasable on the lien-expiry date for each phase. The Act also creates trust obligations: money received on a project must be used to pay the people who worked on that project. Breach of trust can attract personal liability against directors and officers. Prompt Payment rules introduced in 2019 require owners to pay general contractors within 28 days of a proper invoice, with cascading deadlines to subcontractors and suppliers below.

Adjudication — the fastest way to get paid

Statutory adjudication delivers a binding decision on a payment dispute in roughly six weeks. The process runs alongside — not in place of — lien rights and court action. For sub-trades, suppliers and small contractors, adjudication is often the fastest, cheapest and least confrontational way to recover what you are owed.

For owners and homeowners

If a lien has been registered against your property, you need to respond quickly to keep your project moving and your financing in place. Common options include posting security to vacate the lien, paying into court, or negotiating a discharge. Home-renovation projects have additional protections for homeowners, but those protections must be invoked promptly.

Construction matters reward early advice. Call 416-321-8766 as soon as you suspect a payment problem — even a single day of delay can cost you your lien rights.